Members Rwubu Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 Excuse me... Like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rwubu Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 And that? (Direct Mix section!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rwubu Posted January 26, 2012 Members Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hi again, mister Anderton,I might have the beginning of a point.In the inspector section, at the bottom, just above the vu-meter, there's that button set by default on "input 1". It seems to me that it's there that I should select wich input to assign to wich channel. No? And here's the problem: I left click that "input" button , and... nothing! It stays desperately set on "input 1!What am I doing wrong?Any further hints?Thanks a lot.Rwubu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rwubu Posted January 27, 2012 Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 ... and "they" finally told me not to click, not to double-click, but to maintain the left button of the mouse down on that "input" button, wich I will try as soon as I get home from the office! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted January 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 27, 2012 I noticed in the first screen shot that the faders were down for inputs 3-8. You'll need to raise them if you want their signal to feed the DAW channel inputs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted January 31, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2012 Quick update: I installed the V1.5 software. The update was very well-documented and painless. The main differences are a new look for the control panel, the ability to initiate auto-sens from the control panel, Lion compatibility, the ability to change sample rate within your DAW, and tweaked latency so it's even lower. Actually the way it feels to me isn't so much that the latency is lower, but that there's more stability at lower settings. I wasn't expecting this update, so it was a nice surprise. Pretty cool, and it's free. Just make sure you follow the installation instructions to the letter, you don't want to mess up a firmware update. Here's the control panel graphic: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted January 31, 2012 Members Share Posted January 31, 2012 wow didn't realise there's an update ! super cool features ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted January 31, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2012 Originally Posted by zzzxtreme wow didn't realise there's an update I didn't either until I saw post #191!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fishnose Posted February 2, 2012 Members Share Posted February 2, 2012 An absolutely amazing review!! Wow, you really dig into a unit and find the good and bad bits. I am hugely impressed with a number of your reviews I've read.A couple of things:1. I find it a little disconcerting to contemplate using an interface that gives me so little possiblilty to tweak on the actual box. I'm thinking in terms of a bus mixer as interface in front of a multi-input USB box (I have the Line6 UX8 and am very pleased with it). With the Roland, all that disappears. Ok, it has some knobs, but nothing close to a hardware mixer-type interface.Do you find that the Octa applet gives you the ease of use, the intuitive 'twiddlyness' of a real mixer & outboard compressor (or at least fairly close)? The reason I'm looking at this box is that I'll be out in the field recording soon, and the UX8 is a bit too clumsy to lug along (air transport etc), as well as it doesn't have that kind of neat SW interface. I'll have a bunch of mics, a very powerful Win7 laptop, and a USB box.2. The Auto-Sens setup seems to be truly amazing! Esp. with the new v1.5, that is SO cool. Is Auto-Sens good enough to give the initial setup for an 8-track session, requiring just some realtime tweaking as things progress? Can Auto-Sense be used for only 1 or 2 channels - say you have 6 channels Auto-Sens'd, you're happy with them, (drummer and bassist say) and then you want to add 2 more (vocals and mic'ed guitar amp). Will Auto-Sense leave the first 6 alone? And lastly, do channels 9 & 10 not have Auto possibilities at all?Incidentally, your UX8 review was perhaps the most important decision-maker for me when I was on the market for a new box about a year ago. And I haven't regretted it! Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudlege Posted February 4, 2012 Members Share Posted February 4, 2012 This is just awesome. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2012 Originally Posted by Fishnose An absolutely amazing review!! Wow, you really dig into a unit and find the good and bad bits. I am hugely impressed with a number of your reviews I've read. Thanks! My philosophy isn't to say "I like it" or "I don't like it" as much as it is to describe something in enough detail that people can decide for themselves whether it would suit their purposes or not. A couple of things: 1. I find it a little disconcerting to contemplate using an interface that gives me so little possiblilty to tweak on the actual box. I'm thinking in terms of a bus mixer as interface in front of a multi-input USB box (I have the Line6 UX8 and am very pleased with it). With the Roland, all that disappears. Ok, it has some knobs, but nothing close to a hardware mixer-type interface. That's correct. You need to navigate through screens and use the hardware controls to adjust parameters. Do you find that the Octa applet gives you the ease of use, the intuitive 'twiddlyness' of a real mixer & outboard compressor (or at least fairly close)? It's really like any virtual mixer, so if you're comfortable with that kind of tweaking, you'll be okay. Remember, though, that the compression is after the A/Ds so you can't use them to trap overs before they get into the Octa-Capture. The reason I'm looking at this box is that I'll be out in the field recording soon, and the UX8 is a bit too clumsy to lug along (air transport etc), as well as it doesn't have that kind of neat SW interface. I'll have a bunch of mics, a very powerful Win7 laptop, and a USB box. In your case, obviously the number of mic inputs in such a small box would be a major asset. So it comes down to whether you're happy with a virtual mixer to do most of your tweaking. Don't get me wrong, the unit isn't that hard to navigate - if you're only recording one or two channels at a time, it's not a problem. But if you're tweaking eight channels, you'll definitely want to use the virtual mixer. 2. The Auto-Sens setup seems to be truly amazing! Esp. with the new v1.5, that is SO cool. Is Auto-Sens good enough to give the initial setup for an 8-track session, requiring just some realtime tweaking as things progress? Yes, as long as people play at the maximum level so the OC can set a ceiling. I use auto-sens all the time, so either it works, or I've gotten really lazy...or both Can Auto-Sense be used for only 1 or 2 channels - say you have 6 channels Auto-Sens'd, you're happy with them, (drummer and bassist say) and then you want to add 2 more (vocals and mic'ed guitar amp). Will Auto-Sense leave the first 6 alone? Yes, you can enable/disable for whichever channels you want...great question. And lastly, do channels 9 & 10 not have Auto possibilities at all? No, because they're digital I/O. Any level issues would need to be addressed prior to the signal becoming digitized. Incidentally, your UX8 review was perhaps the most important decision-maker for me when I was on the market for a new box about a year ago. And I haven't regretted it! Thanks again. Line 6 makes really good gear at the price point where they live. The UX8 was one of the first "lots of inputs for not a lot of bucks that still sound really good" interfaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jafejo Posted February 8, 2012 Members Share Posted February 8, 2012 Hi Craig, nice review, i use the octa, with the compresor, and it's seems to give more dynamic range, if you use it as a limiter. I think it improves the 50 db of the preamp. Even going after A/D, The waveform gets bigger without digital clip. I tried the mbox 3 pro but the driver was very unstable on macbook pro with fw 800 and daisychain hd. I exchange it for the octa. Before i used the compresor i thought that the mbox has better preamps. But now trying the compresor I believe that they are very similar. What do you think ?Maybe you can do some benchmarks with the compresor on.Salutes ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Asyl Posted February 8, 2012 Members Share Posted February 8, 2012 Originally Posted by Anderton Well for starters, the rear panel outputs are not designed to drive headphones - they're line level, and NOT stereo. You say you can hear the pre-recorded tracks, though...so there must be enough level, which is possible depending on the headphones. However, if you're sending any tracks to the "other" channel, you won't hear them, or they will be very faint. You'll have to create a mono monitor mix. I'll check out what happens when I plug headphones into the back, but really, that's not the intended usage for the rear panel jacks. Hi M. Anderton, firstly, many thanks for the review, as I might buy an OC very soon. But I was thinking about the same use as the sir above, I play guitar and sing in a project with a DJ, and I was hoping to use the rear output as a cue. So is it possible to amplify this line signal by any means? If it was, this interface would allow us to have distinct monitors on-stage + a cue in the DJ's headphones + inputs for an additional bass player or guitarist, and to keep my acoustic guitar plugged in all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jim Rosebrook Posted February 10, 2012 Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 Any one using the Octa-Capture + Pro Tools 10 + Mac OS 10.7..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 10, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 Originally Posted by Asyl Hi M. Anderton, firstly, many thanks for the review, as I might buy an OC very soon. But I was thinking about the same use as the sir above, I play guitar and sing in a project with a DJ, and I was hoping to use the rear output as a cue. So is it possible to amplify this line signal by any means? If it was, this interface would allow us to have distinct monitors on-stage + a cue in the DJ's headphones + inputs for an additional bass player or guitarist, and to keep my acoustic guitar plugged in all the time. The Aphex Headpod is really pro quality but might be more than you need. Less expensive models include the ART HeadAmp4 (around $50), and the Behringer HA400 costs about $25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 10, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 Originally Posted by jafejo I tried the mbox 3 pro but the driver was very unstable on macbook pro with fw 800 and daisychain hd. It's good practice with all FireWire interfaces to give them their own port, and not daisychain with anything. As to the compressor, I should really play with them more...I haven't used them much because I prefer not to record the compressed sound. But maybe a little dynamics control would be useful from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 10, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 Originally Posted by Jim Rosebrook Any one using the Octa-Capture + Pro Tools 10 + Mac OS 10.7..? Tried it with Pro Tools 10 and Windows (it worked fine), but haven't gone to 10.7 yet on the Mac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted February 10, 2012 Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 I use 2 units Behringer HA400. One for the drummer during recording, another for the control room. Nice that I can set 4 different mixes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jim Rosebrook Posted February 10, 2012 Members Share Posted February 10, 2012 Originally Posted by Anderton Tried it with Pro Tools 10 and Windows (it worked fine), but haven't gone to 10.7 yet on the Mac. You might have other reasons to wait on moving to 10.7, but Pro Tools 10 is actually running better for me on 10.7 than on 10.6. I want to trim down my mobile rig to something I can carry my laptop bag, but I hate to give up 8-pre's as I currently have in my ProFire 2626. The Octa looks like the most compact way to go. Looking forward to leaving the rack at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jschuff32 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 I am considering the Octa-Capture, but am wondering...being that all the 8 inputs are mic pres, will that keep me from using an external stand-alone mic pre without added noise/distortion? Is there a way to activate line level input vs. activate built-in preamp?Also, being that the compressor/limiter is post A/D converters, does this mean that the compressor/limiter will not keep the input level from clipping? I was hoping the comp/limiter would protect from clipping, especially when recording a full drum kit.Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Originally Posted by jschuff32 I am considering the Octa-Capture, but am wondering...being that all the 8 inputs are mic pres, will that keep me from using an external stand-alone mic pre without added noise/distortion? Is there a way to activate line level input vs. activate built-in preamp? There's a thorough discussion on this topic in the Cakewalk forums,where I've added some comments of my own. Also, being that the compressor/limiter is post A/D converters, does this mean that the compressor/limiter will not keep the input level from clipping? I was hoping the comp/limiter would protect from clipping, especially when recording a full drum kit. The comp/limiter will not prevent clipping of the A/D converters. But, that's why Auto-Sens is so useful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jschuff32 Posted February 15, 2012 Members Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks for the info! I read everything on the cakewalk forum and feel a lot better. Which since I already went ahead and ordered it.I'm planning on getting an Art Mpa 2 pre to use for vocals and acoustic guitars. How much of a step up from the octa pre's would the mpa be? Would it be worth it for a little garage project (in your opinion)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2012 The most significant differences are the use of tubes as preamps, and the variable input impedance selector. Don't underestimate the OC preamps; they're very good. However, they obviously cannot add that "tube sound" because they don't use tubes. If you want that sound, then yes, you'll need a tube preamp. Personally, I'd say run with the OC preamps for a while and see what you think. You might find you don't really need anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wolfereeno2 Posted February 22, 2012 Members Share Posted February 22, 2012 I think I'm getting close to making the plunge for one of these. So far it seems to meet all of my requirements. Just a simple, kind a stupid question tho. Can this device be powered on and off quickly? Does it make sense to use this for general PC audio, games, itunes, youtube... Ie, would you leave it on all the time? Or would one typically use this kind of interface just for recording/editing and then just use the built in soundcard for general audio? And if so how do you switch sources and still use one set of monitor speakers?Thanks for the great reviews!!Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zzzxtreme Posted February 22, 2012 Members Share Posted February 22, 2012 check out steinberg UR824, for around $100-150 extra i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.